Fake solar panels in Scotland

Three men from Glasgow—John Bonner, Christopher Laycock, and David Kelly—have been sentenced to a total of 18 years and five months for their roles in an international drug trafficking scheme that utilized fake solar panels to smuggle cocaine and heroin from Spain to Scotland. Their operation, linked to a larger organised crime syndicate headed by James White, was uncovered during a police sting in January 2022, where authorities found drugs concealed in lead-lined voids within the panels. The trio was convicted based on incriminating messages obtained from the EncroChat platform, revealing the scale of their illicit activities and connections to crime bosses. Bonner acted as a collector for drug sales, Laycock helped establish a fake company as a front, and Kelly transported drug money across the UK. All three have been made subject to Serious Crime Prevention Orders upon their release. Their case is part of broader investigations—Operation Buggy and Operation Escalade—targeting serious organised crime in Scotland.